Flourite that has been left outside. Still good?

[Username]

Hey there, I had a question about old substrate. Its been sitting by the side of my house outside for about 5 months. If I rinse it out real good could I use it again. I wanted to use some for my new 10 gallon tank. And sterilizing in the oven is out of the question, my mom would kill me. thx

[Knotyoureality]

You can also sterilize it by rinsing it with boiling water and/or a mild bleach solution.

[micheljq]

I had flourite waiting 5 months in a plastic box. I did rinse it and put it into a new uncycled tank (wiith sand from another cycled tank) without fauna in it, only plants and did let the tank cycle.

Now the tank is cycled, I have fishes and plants in it and i had no problems.

Michel.

[lochaber]

It's pretty much inert, so sitting outside isn't going to really do much to it. (barring exposure to pesticides, soap/detergent, petrochemicals, etc.)

I wouldn't even worry about sterilizing it, I doubt it would pick up much harmful to a fish in a terrestrial environment. - just give it a good rinsing to get out any dust/bugs/debris that may have accumulated

[Username]

Thanks for the answers.

[longgonedaddy]

Originally Posted by lochaber

It's pretty much inert, so sitting outside isn't going to really do much to it. (barring exposure to pesticides, soap/detergent, petrochemicals, etc.)

I wouldn't even worry about sterilizing it, I doubt it would pick up much harmful to a fish in a terrestrial environment. - just give it a good rinsing to get out any dust/bugs/debris that may have accumulated

+1

I had some outside for five years. A regular rinse and all is good.